LorMar Orchard

Lorne & Marilynn Lazorko
LorMar Orchard
Bankend, Sask.

After 27 years of grain farming, in 1995 Lorne and Marilynn Lazorko took a few acres next to their yard out of crop production and began to "diversify" into fruit production. They planted 300 saskatoon seedlings and a shelterbelt. The following year they added 450 more saskatoon bushes, and in 1997 planted a few hundred chokecherries, pincherries, apples and highbush cranberries. In the following years, they expanded the orchard to 17 acres, and planted more shelter belts to prepare for further expansion. They also grow potatoes and Supersweet corn, along with a large garden which provides a variety of vegetables for sale during the summer season.

In the past few years, they have rented out the rest of their farmland to concentrate their efforts on maintaining and improving their orchard and marketing its products. Lorne and Marilynn find that they enjoy the "hands-on" aspects of horticulture, as opposed to farming "from the tractor seat", and they enjoy connecting directly with their customers, one-on-one.

Lorne and Marilynn believe that Saskatchewan is one of the most healthy places on earth to grow high-quality, nutritious fruits, "With its pure water, non-polluted air and abundance of sunshine combined with cool nights, our province's fruits can rival the world's best!"

LorMar Orchard is located alongside Highway 35 - the paved ribbon that connects the US to the Calling Lakes, Greenwater Park, Nipawin and Tobin Lake - a major tourism route. They are just 10 minutes south of the Yellowhead Highway, near Bankend.

For the 2009 season, Lorne and Marilynn expect to offer the following, U-Pick OR Pre-picked: strawberries, saskatoon berries, raspberries, rhubarb, Nanking cherries, plums, tart cherries, black currants, cherry plums, apples, pincherries, chokecherries, highbush cranberries, grapes, potatoes, and Supersweet corn. You can find them at the Wadena Farmers Market during the summer selling their fruits and veggies along with jams, jellies, syrups, pies and other specialty products like chocolates and fruit-based ice cream! They can be found on the web at www.saskfruit.com. Call the orchard at 576-2336 or email m.lazorko@sasktel.net for picking times or more information.